Switch-operating device.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

W. A. OHUN. I SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

W. A. GHUN.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

\ E 5 S S i"IllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE k\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ QR l nes: m 0/ WILLIAM.A. CHUN, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed July 18, 1905. Serial No. 270,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. CHUN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State f Texas, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Switch-Operating Devices, of wlnch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch-operating devices designed especially for use in connection with electrical railways, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character in which the slot and trap switches will be automatically and simultaneously operated, one wherein the depressible members included in the mechanism will move in relatively reverse directions, whereby the depression of one of the members for moving the switches in one direction will automatically set the other member for throwing the switches in the other direction, and one in which liability of the switches being thrown incorrectly is wholly obviated.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this class in which the boxes or casings which receive the depressible members may be readily adapted for use with either of said members, one wherein the mechanism may be conveniently installed for operating the switches either on underground or overhead systems, and one in which movement of the slot-switch will be limited to insure proper direction being given to the plow within the slot.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter'described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railway equipped with a switch-operating mechanism embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the switches and adjacent portions of the operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of one of the depressible members and its casing. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the manner of coupling the sections of the operating element. Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional plan. showing slightly-modified embodiment of the invention. Fig. 8 is a detail View of the vertical link employed for connecting the switch-section and horizontal operating-lever.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main-line rails, 2 branch-line rails leading therefrom, and 3 movable switch-points or sections situated at the juncture of the main and branch line rails over the underground box or casing 4, to the top 5 of which the switch-points are pivoted, there being disposed between the rails 1' a plow trolley-slot 7, having branches 8 and 9 extending between the rails 2, these parts, except as hereinafter explained, being all of the usual or any appropriate construction and material.

Pivoted at 10 to the cover 5 and within the casing 4 is a switch-section 11, adapted for movement at its free forward-end beneath the slot 7 for closing one or other of the branch slots 8 or 9 and having its rear end pivoted at 12 to the u per end of a vertical connecting member or ink 13, pivoted between its ends to a bracket or support 14, attached to the adjacent end wall of the casing, there being centrally pivoted at 15 within the casing a horizontal lever 16, having its rear end pivoted at 17 to the lower end of link 13 and its forward end pivotally engaged with a connecting bar or element 18, in turn pivoted at its ends to vertical levers or links 19, centrally pivoted in bearings 20, attached to the side walls of the casing.

Formed upon the lower faces of the switches 3 and depending through suitable openings in the cover 5 are lugs 21, to which are fixed horizontal inwardly-projecting bars or sections 22, to which the upper ends of the levers 19 are pivoted, as at 23, there being centrally pivoted at 24 to the cover 5 a lever 25, pivoted at one end to one of the bars 22 and at its other end to one of a pair of links 26 27, of which the latter is pivoted at 28 to the casing, while the meeting ends of the links are pivoted at 29 in the forked head 30 of. a longitudinally movable traction rod or element 31, disposed adjacent to and extended paral lel with one of the rails 1, this element being operable in the manner hereinaiter explained for actuating the lever-and-link mechanism to move the switches automatically and simultaneously.

Disposed at a point suitably remote from and appropriately spaced relatively is a pair of boxes or casings 32, which are identical in. construction and are each provided with an opening 33, beneath which is disposed a pair of horizontal projections or stops 34, designed IIC to limit the downward movement of a de pressible member or shoe 35, which normally projects above the top of the casing through the opening 33, said shoe being connected, by means of a rod or link 36, with one end of a bell-crank lever 37, pivoted at its elbow, as at 38, to a bracket 39 within the casing and having its other or normally vertical arm pivotally engaged with the traction element 31, it

being noted in this connection that the openings 33 in the casings are disposed at one side of the transverse center of the casings and that the latter are arranged in relatively reverse directions, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the levers 37 will be reversed relatively for moving the element 31 in reverse directions. It will be observed, further, that owing to the particular arrangement of the openings 33 in the casings the latter are adapted by a simple endwise reversal to be employed in connection with either of the depressible shoes 35 and their attendant mechanism.

Extending between and for connecting the casings 32 together and to the casing 4 are tubular pipe-sections 40 of suitable lengths, having their'ends threaded into the walls of the casing, the traction element or rod 31, which is also of tubular form and composed of a pair of sections, being extended through these pipe-sections and housed thereby for Iprotection from moisture and the like and aving its sections connected within the forward or intermediate casing 32 by means of a coupling or turnbuckle 41, the ends of which are screwed into the caps 42 on the adjacent ends of the pipesections. The turnbuckle or coupling 41 is designed for operation to regulate the tension of the traction element 31 and after proper adjustment may be fixed by means of jam-nuts 43, disposed on the threaded shanks of the buckle to bear against the caps 42.

For limiting the movement of the free end of lever 11 to maintain the latter in proper position for directing the plow or trolley of the slot 7 into either of the branch slots 8 or 9 there is secured to the inner face of the cover 5 a air of stop-plates 44, disposed, respective y, on opposite sides of the slot 7 at the juncture of the latter with the slots 8 and 9, these plates being adapted to be contacted by the switch 1 1 when thrown and to limit its movement for the purpose explained.

In practice when the forward member or shoe 35 is depressed, as seen in Fig. 2, the adjacent lever 37 will be actuated for imparting forward movement to the rod or element 31, which movement of the rod serves, through the medium of the links 26 and 27, to throw the rear end of lever 25 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 for moving the switches 3 to the right, and at the same time serves to move the levers 19, connecting-bar 18, and levers 16 and 13 in the directions in dicated by the arrows for throwing the forward end of slot-switch 1.1 to the right and open the branch slot 8, it being noted that the movements of the switches 3 and 11 are simultaneous. When the rear shoe 35 or that nearest the casing 4 is depressed, a re verse movement is imparted to the parts of the mechanism for simultaneously moving the switches 3 and 11 to the left and opening slot 9, the stops 44 serving to limit the movements of switch 11 for obviating liability of the plow striking or becoming engaged with the point formed between the slots 8 and 9.

Fixed to the forward platform 45 of the car is a vertically-depending guide member or bracket 46, in which is arranged for vertical movement a rod or member 47, rovided at its upper end with the head 48 and having ournaled to its lower end a pressure member or roller 49, there being fixed on the rod 47 projections 50, adapted for travel in slots 51, provided in the bracket 46, while hung beneath the car by means of a link 52 is a pivot-lever 53, having one end pivotally engaged with the rod 47 and equipped at its other or free end with a weight 54, which serves for maintaining the rod 47 in its normal position with the pressure roller 49 raised.- As the car approaches the switch the operator when necessary places his foot upon the head 48 and presses the rod 47 downward, thus moving the roller 49 to position to ride over and depress one of the shoes 35 for automatically throwing the switches in the manner above explained, it being apparent that after depression of the rod 47 the weight 54 will upon removal of the operators foot from head 48 automatically raise the roller 49 to normal or non-contacting position. It will be observed that as the outer shoe 35 serves when depressed to throw the switches to the right, while the inner or rear shoe 35 acts for throwing the switches in the reverse direction, or to the left, the motorman need operate the roller 49 when the switches are thrown in the wrong direction as may be determined by the position of the shoes. For instance, if the car on the main line is to branch to the right and the shoe 35 be depressed, it will be unnecessary to operate the shoe-depressing mechanism on the car, while a like condition will prevail if the car is to branch to the left and the rear shoe 35 is al ready depressed. It is to be particularly noted that under this arrangement the switch may be readily shifted while the car is in motion and irrespective of its speed and that the device when applied to vestibule-cars will permit operation of the switches without opening the door or window of the vestibule.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a slight modification adapting the device for roads employing overhead trolleys, and in which the underground slot and its switch 11 are omitted, under which conditions the track-switches 3 are connected by a rigid bar or element 55,

IIO

to which one end of the lever 25 is directly pivoted, operation of said lever serving, through the medium of bar 55, to simultaneously throw the switches, as will be readily understood. In all other respects the con struction and operation of the mechanism is identical with that above described.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view, it being understood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1 1. In a switch-operating mechanism, a plurality of switches, a longitudinally-movable traction element, a pair of reversely-movable depressible shoes connected with and for moving the element respectively in reverse directions, and operative connections between the element and switches for operating and imparting simultaneous movement to the latter.

2. In a switch-operating mechanism, a plurality of switches operatively connected for simultaneous movement, a longitudinallymovable traction element, a pair of reverselydisposed bell-crank levers connected with said element, reversely-movable depressible shoes connected respectively with and for operating the levers to move the element in reverse direction, and operative connections between the element and switches for throwing the latter in opposite directions upon depression of the respective shoes.

3. In a switch-operating mechanism, a plurality of switches, a system of levers connecting the switches for simultaneous movement, a longitudinally-movable element, a pair of depressible shoes operatively connected with the element for moving the same in reverse directions, and operative connections between the element and one of the levers for actuating the latter to move the switches.

4. In a switch-operating mechanism, a plurality of underground casings, tubular sections connecting the casings, a longitudinally movable element extended between the casings within the tubular sections, reversely-disposed bell-crank levers housed respectively in said casings and connected for moving the element in reverse directions, a lever operated by the element, and a switch connected for operation by the lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. CHUN.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, H. H. BYRNE. 

